IN LINE with popular opinion, Brendan Rodgers would accept he did throw something in at the Bernabeu. Rather than the towel, however, the Liverpool manager might argue he hurled down a red rag.

Brendan Rodgers was widely criticised for fielding a 'weakened' team at Real Madrid

The debate over the rights and wrongs of the controversial line-up which left Rodgers open to criticism he betrayed the Anfield club's rich European heritage by ringing the changes on Tuesday evening continued to rage yesterday.

"Giving up on the result from the moment of team selection was a crime against his club's history," wrote Diario AS chief football writer Alfredo Relano.

Yet this is 2014 not 1984. Real are the reigning European champions, not Liverpool, and the mauling the Spaniards inflicted two weeks ago on Merseyside provided stark evidence of the gulf that exists between the two teams.

The side which ran out in Madrid was not picked with the intention of resting all of those head-turning absentees ahead of a daunting showdown with Chelsea, but perhaps geared towards provoking a psychological response on Saturday lunchtime.

Too many Liverpool players have under-performed of late, unable to rescale the heights of last season, yet few of them would have counted on missing out on the club's most prestigious European game since the Champions League quarter-final showdown with Guus Hiddink's Chelsea almost five-and-a-half years ago.

Rodgers will hope it serves to jolt those who have been off-colour back into a semblance of form. It was a short, sharp, shock to the system geared to provoke a reaction rather than a betrayal of an illustrious past and willingness to run up the white flag.

Any position, I am ready to fight for my club

Kolo Toure

That Rodgers ran the risk of being embarrassed in the process, his relationship with the supporters left fractured, underlines a willingness to make big decisions. He was not totally vindicated in defeat and Liverpool remain cornered in Group B with their backs to the wall.

However, having suggested in the aftermath of the 1-0 reverse that his "star names" are not guaranteed to start matches, so Rodgers must reaffirm that message with his actions. There will be excerpts from that which played out in the Bernabeu which will stand him in good stead and give him food for thought.

Kolo Toure should keep his place at the heart of the defence ahead of Dejan Lovren, who has been disappointing since his £20m move from Southampton, in the hope he does not revert to type when confronted by Diego Costa.

"I'm ready for it," said the centre-back. "Any position, I am ready to fight for my club. I play from my heart. That is what is important."

The energy and work-rate Fabio Borini provided in what admittedly remains a blunted attack demands Mario Balotelli remains on the sidelines.

It is easier to make a case to recall Steven Gerrard and Raheem Sterling, whose presence in the Bernabeu from the outset might have boosted the prospect of an away goal if perhaps made Liverpool defensively less sound.

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Kolo Toure (left) had a stand-out performance against Madrid on Tuesday

Yet Philippe Coutinho and Glen Johnson should be made to sweat and although Jordan Henderson's presence will be important, he knows he must kick on again.

"We have shown everyone the quality we have throughout," said midfielder Joe Allen. "Everyone is genuinely competing for spots now and that is exactly what you need if you want to be successful.

"We have the quality to beat Chelsea. We understand that we didn't start the season very well but they have to come to Anfield and we know if we bring our A game - especially there - we can compete against anyone in the league."

The accusation Real coasted after Karim Benzema's goal can be countered by the fact it was widely accepted they declared when leading 3-0 at half-time on Merseyside when Liverpool's supposed first team had featured.

Ultimately, the success or failure of Rodgers' policy will only become clear at around 2.30pm on Saturday.

Whether they were dropped or rested, the outward perception is he left out his best players to ensure that if he cannot beat Chelsea for the first time as a manager, then he must not lose.

Should those underachievers who have been recalled flop again then the gamble of putting his neck on the block will not have served any purpose. If he gets a response from people who have previously been off-colour it will have worked.

The question of whether the modern-day Liverpool, even one which has invested more than £100m on signings in the summer, should be beating the best team in the world and then the best team in England is another matter entirely.